favorite word of the week.
When I have more than 20 minutes, I will copy ans paste parts of my emails here as I feel those are a better representation of what's going on in my life. That and it's got all the juicy details.
I can't believe I've been here for 5 weeks already. Where did the time go? I came here unsure of what I was doing exactly, then got super stoked on being active and now I'm somewhere in between. I met a really neat and smart person who proposed a lot of questions that got me thinking, what the hell am i doing here? what am I planning to do after this? what are my plans in terms of school? am i really just trying to move to NYC to be with all the hipsters (hah NO.)?
be assured, i'm doing a lot of thinking here. once it gets dark at 7, there's not much to do but speed sudoku, logic puzzles and think. so much thinking.
in 4 or 5 days i fly to zanzibar. there goes more money. but hey! it's MY holiday. i want some sun. yes holiday. damn brits. i'm moving to your damn country and picking up your accents because it sounds fancier than my rough americanese.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
I am well. After 2 weeks at Mt Meru University, I finally moved in with my host family. They are adorable. We live in a place called Manyire village, like 60 min from Arusha. I'm trying to find a google photos to show you where... Apparently there are 5000 people here but it's SO rural. I could get lost for days walking the mountains and fields.
we live on a farm with goats, cattle, cows and hella chickens. and one annoying kitten. YES THERE ARE LIKE 20 ANIMALS. I wake up with goats talking to each other and a rooster yelling. One of the mama cows gave birth last night. Mama is going to teach me to milk a cow soon. And she is teaching me to make Tanzanian food... more on that later. the house is super simple with 3 rooms, one of which I share with an English girl named Kate. She is super nice and funny and keeps me sane. we have three kids, 9, 7 and 5. they are so cute! there are a bunch of kids that live close (all family) so there are times there will be 10 kids in a 10 by 10 "living room". totally nuts. The first night one of the boys dreaded my hair and kept saying "rasta rasta". My mama is super nice and cooks pretty good food. The standard Tanzanian food is rice, ugali (corn flour and water... kind of like cream of wheat except you roll it into a ball and scoop up beans with it), beans, beans, mchicha (shredded spinach that is heated) and chapati (like naan bread or tortillas). My roommate and I requested no meat as we cannot eat cow instestines :( gross. so we asked for chicken and got all the parts of teh chicken BUT the breast. seriously. like chicken feet and neck and everything else. apparently the head is edible? Anyway, we are getting sick of the high carb diet so we are trying to get some more eggs and peanut butter into our diet. Standard breakfast is white bread with butter and instant coffee. OH AND our kitchen is separate from our house... a little hut with these stone boxes that make a fire place. Totally weird, I know. I'll take a picture if I can. So mama taught me to make chapati and roasted bananas so far. Next up is ugali and some other stuff.
So what have I been doing? Teaching! we started teaching last Wednesday. We're teaching at a primary school where each class is OVER 60 students. We teach standards 4, 5, 6 and 7 (about 10-16 yr olds). The standard 7 class is 60 students and apparently the standard 4 is 94. OH MY GOODNESS. Teaching is a lot of fun though. We teach in English and then our Tanzanian teaching partners translate to English. It's really rewarding work. all the kids have a lot of energy and we do a lot of shouting games and clapping and such.
we live on a farm with goats, cattle, cows and hella chickens. and one annoying kitten. YES THERE ARE LIKE 20 ANIMALS. I wake up with goats talking to each other and a rooster yelling. One of the mama cows gave birth last night. Mama is going to teach me to milk a cow soon. And she is teaching me to make Tanzanian food... more on that later. the house is super simple with 3 rooms, one of which I share with an English girl named Kate. She is super nice and funny and keeps me sane. we have three kids, 9, 7 and 5. they are so cute! there are a bunch of kids that live close (all family) so there are times there will be 10 kids in a 10 by 10 "living room". totally nuts. The first night one of the boys dreaded my hair and kept saying "rasta rasta". My mama is super nice and cooks pretty good food. The standard Tanzanian food is rice, ugali (corn flour and water... kind of like cream of wheat except you roll it into a ball and scoop up beans with it), beans, beans, mchicha (shredded spinach that is heated) and chapati (like naan bread or tortillas). My roommate and I requested no meat as we cannot eat cow instestines :( gross. so we asked for chicken and got all the parts of teh chicken BUT the breast. seriously. like chicken feet and neck and everything else. apparently the head is edible? Anyway, we are getting sick of the high carb diet so we are trying to get some more eggs and peanut butter into our diet. Standard breakfast is white bread with butter and instant coffee. OH AND our kitchen is separate from our house... a little hut with these stone boxes that make a fire place. Totally weird, I know. I'll take a picture if I can. So mama taught me to make chapati and roasted bananas so far. Next up is ugali and some other stuff.
So what have I been doing? Teaching! we started teaching last Wednesday. We're teaching at a primary school where each class is OVER 60 students. We teach standards 4, 5, 6 and 7 (about 10-16 yr olds). The standard 7 class is 60 students and apparently the standard 4 is 94. OH MY GOODNESS. Teaching is a lot of fun though. We teach in English and then our Tanzanian teaching partners translate to English. It's really rewarding work. all the kids have a lot of energy and we do a lot of shouting games and clapping and such.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tanzanian update (#1?)
I have not yet written from East Africa. Why? Simply SO MUCH TO DO.
actually, that is a lie. There hasnt been a whole lot to do before the program started (today). I cant begin to explain how long my transit was!! So much waiting, so much time on moving vehicles. But it's so worth it. It is SO baeutiful here. I believe I was the stupid blogger and forgot my camera cord. You may have to wait.
the internet is too slow. more later.
actually, that is a lie. There hasnt been a whole lot to do before the program started (today). I cant begin to explain how long my transit was!! So much waiting, so much time on moving vehicles. But it's so worth it. It is SO baeutiful here. I believe I was the stupid blogger and forgot my camera cord. You may have to wait.
the internet is too slow. more later.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Dubai
Omg it's like 102 degrees here. thank goodness for air coniditioning.
best airplane food EVER. my meal was made by human hands and there was too much of it.
Today has already been long. Today and yesterday?
fri 9:30-3:00 (6:00est) - seattle to nyc //// flight time 5.5
6est to 11est - waited for airplane //// wait time 5
11:20est-8am dubai time? - nyc to dubai //// flight time 12.5
8 - 10:45 /// wait time 2.75
10:45 - 3:30 - flight from dubai to dar es salaam
and i cant even go on. there is so much crazy stuff going. I'll write later.
best airplane food EVER. my meal was made by human hands and there was too much of it.
Today has already been long. Today and yesterday?
fri 9:30-3:00 (6:00est) - seattle to nyc //// flight time 5.5
6est to 11est - waited for airplane //// wait time 5
11:20est-8am dubai time? - nyc to dubai //// flight time 12.5
8 - 10:45 /// wait time 2.75
10:45 - 3:30 - flight from dubai to dar es salaam
and i cant even go on. there is so much crazy stuff going. I'll write later.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sorry this blog looks so boring
Maybe with some photos and a better color scheme (anyone out there have a nice layout? eh?) it will look nicer. Most of you who are reading this are probably on my 'general mailing list' (minus my parents) and I'm sorry that I don't have more exciting news here. Check back in a few days and i'll give you an update or two.
First letter of conduct, written and sent on July 18th, 2008:
'Hello dear friends!
I'm writing to you just hours away... heck who am I kidding? This is not a formal letter. This is a blurb to tell you what is going on in my life and where I will be the next couple of months in case you were trying to get lunch or invite me to some rad party (like that ever happens anyway).
At 9pm tonight, I fly to NYC, where I will catch a plane to Dubai, from where I will catch another plane to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Yes Tanzania. I included a map with points and destinations for your convenience. From Dar Es Salaam, I will take a 9 HOUR bus ride to Arusha, where I will meet up with the rest of my group. I will be living in a rural village with a Tanzanian family for 2 months, helping teach how to prevent HIV and working with locals to become more aware of the deadly virus. As you may have guessed, I will be taking photographs. A lot of them. And mostly all on film!
Not to totally brag, but I'd like to stick it in REI's face that what they advertised as a "weekend backpack" has me packed for 62 days, no joke.
It's going to be a tough adventure, but I'm super excited because I love traveling and am committed to global health.
Wish me well, that I will come back to Seattle in one piece, with a backpack overflowing with Tanzanian goodies and a mind and heart filled with inspiration, knowledge and awareness.'
Tanzania!!!!!
First letter of conduct, written and sent on July 18th, 2008:
'Hello dear friends!
I'm writing to you just hours away... heck who am I kidding? This is not a formal letter. This is a blurb to tell you what is going on in my life and where I will be the next couple of months in case you were trying to get lunch or invite me to some rad party (like that ever happens anyway).
At 9pm tonight, I fly to NYC, where I will catch a plane to Dubai, from where I will catch another plane to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Yes Tanzania. I included a map with points and destinations for your convenience. From Dar Es Salaam, I will take a 9 HOUR bus ride to Arusha, where I will meet up with the rest of my group. I will be living in a rural village with a Tanzanian family for 2 months, helping teach how to prevent HIV and working with locals to become more aware of the deadly virus. As you may have guessed, I will be taking photographs. A lot of them. And mostly all on film!
Not to totally brag, but I'd like to stick it in REI's face that what they advertised as a "weekend backpack" has me packed for 62 days, no joke.
It's going to be a tough adventure, but I'm super excited because I love traveling and am committed to global health.
Wish me well, that I will come back to Seattle in one piece, with a backpack overflowing with Tanzanian goodies and a mind and heart filled with inspiration, knowledge and awareness.'
Tanzania!!!!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Cereal. Is this even cereal anymore?
Every since I can remember pulling the bag of Cheerios from my grandma's cabinet when I was 4, I've been eating cereal every day. Well, not throughout grade school, but ever since I've been making my own breakfast (basically forever, right?). There is maybe a day or two that I miss a month. But on some days I eat 2 bowls and it makes up for the missed days.
Obviously, tastes and values have changed over the years. It used to be all about warm 2% milk with cheerios. Then honey nut cheerios. Then god knows what horrible kids cereal the corporations manufacture. Somewhere in middle school I realized how unhealthy 2% was, so I switched to nonfat. Then a little while later realized that organic or natural milk was so much better. As was Trader Joe's granola. Hello granola and milk! somewhere in this time period came excessive consumption of yogurt and granola as yogurt is superior to milk.
Then, about a little over a year ago, I found out I was lactose intolerant and the world of soy, rice and almond milk opened up. The, about 3 months ago I found out i was super allergic to cane sugar and almonds. Good bye beloved vanilla almond granola and vanilla soy milk.
what am I left with?
All natural Shredded Wheat (two ingredients: wheat and vitamin E) and Wheat&Barley with UNSWEETENED soy milk.
my life has become so bland!
Obviously, tastes and values have changed over the years. It used to be all about warm 2% milk with cheerios. Then honey nut cheerios. Then god knows what horrible kids cereal the corporations manufacture. Somewhere in middle school I realized how unhealthy 2% was, so I switched to nonfat. Then a little while later realized that organic or natural milk was so much better. As was Trader Joe's granola. Hello granola and milk! somewhere in this time period came excessive consumption of yogurt and granola as yogurt is superior to milk.
Then, about a little over a year ago, I found out I was lactose intolerant and the world of soy, rice and almond milk opened up. The, about 3 months ago I found out i was super allergic to cane sugar and almonds. Good bye beloved vanilla almond granola and vanilla soy milk.
what am I left with?
All natural Shredded Wheat (two ingredients: wheat and vitamin E) and Wheat&Barley with UNSWEETENED soy milk.
my life has become so bland!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Dead arm
I got the hep[atitis] A, meni[ngococcal] and polio vaccines today.
In two weeks it'll be the typhoid and yellow fever vaccines.
At least those won't make my arm incredibly sore! this is ridiculous.
I find it weird that there is a shortage of yellow fever vaccines in the United States. And also with rabies vaccines. They are so expensive! Pharmaceutical companies are making major bank.
In two weeks it'll be the typhoid and yellow fever vaccines.
At least those won't make my arm incredibly sore! this is ridiculous.
I find it weird that there is a shortage of yellow fever vaccines in the United States. And also with rabies vaccines. They are so expensive! Pharmaceutical companies are making major bank.
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